Aurora A-7D Re-released by Atlantis

[habu2]

Apparently Atlantis is releasing the old Aurora A-7 Corsair II kit. A notice from culttvman shows an upcoming release with the same "395" kit number. This kit was also the basis for the Monogram A-7A kit, but without the retractable landing gear feature.  

 

This was one of the first kits I built as a kid, my Dad worked at LTV at the time.  

 

 https://www.scalemates.com/kits/aurora-395-a-7d-corsair-ii--1151955

 

https://www.culttvmanshop.com/PREORDER-A7-D-Corsair-II-148-scale-from-Atlantis--2999-PREORDER-RESERVATION_p_8334.html

[thegoodsgt]

Great subject for a nostalgia build! 

[JohnEB]

Too bad it won't have the retracting gear.

For a nostalgia build, I like the action (playing?....though I like the ability to display it either way) features.

[habu2]

My wording was ambiguous, sorry. 

 

The original Aurora kit had retractable landing gear. The Monogram kit did not. I assume the Atlantis repop will include the Aurora retractable gear feature. 

[aircal62]

Monogram did extensive rework of the Aurora molds as the Aurora kit was never really an A-7D but based upon the initial drawings of the A-7A painted in USAF colors, lacking the over wing air refueling receptacle but keeping the USN re fueling set up for probe and drogue.  Will be interesting to see if Atlantis re works the Monogram changes to take the kit back to the original or just re pop the model as the tooling exist today.   

[JohnEB]

I have been in touch with the president if Atlantis about their recently reissued P2V-7 Neptune.

If you're old enough (or read Scalemates), you'll know it originally was issued in 1955 as a regular patrol Neptune. Circa 1960, the reissued it as one of the handful of ski-equipped P2V-7LPs used in Antarctica.

 

In addition to adding skis that meant losing the large radome under the forward fuselage.

 

I was told Revell irrevocably altered the molds (the same way they modified the molds for their Electra airliner into a P-3).

 

I'm afraid the same is probably true on the A-7.

While Atlantis has repaired and cleaned-up molds, and notably made clear "glass" for car/truck kits that didn't originally come with it, they haven't done much along the lines of improving the molds.

 

 

[Charlie D.]

It’s possible there was more than one mold. Atlantis has discovered a few duplicate molds. Maybe Monogram altered one, and left a second unaltered. 

[Dutch]

And Atlantis is also re-releasing the old Adams 1:48 Saab 35 Draken as well.

[habu2]

I have Atlantis re-pops of the old Revell(?) ~1/175 NB-52/X-15 and the 1/110 Mercury Atlas and Jupiter C launch pads and they have all been true to the original molds as I remember them, sometimes with better reproductions of the original decal sheets. 

[JohnEB]

11 hours ago, Charlie D. said:

It’s possible there was more than one mold. Atlantis has discovered a few duplicate molds. Maybe Monogram altered one, and left a second unaltered. 

 

I was surprised by that...Revell cut a second mold for their ancient USS Missouri/ Iowa Class a few years after the original was released in 1953. They modified the hull to accept a battery and prop.

Never knew that, well before my time. I wonder if it was well known at the time?

 

Bill Engar a friend, kit historian, and columnist for the IPMS magazine wrote a great well-illustrated story with side by side comparisons of parts on the kit's two molds for his website...

 

https://www.dembrudders.com/atlantis-1535-uss-iowa-and-wisconsin-battleship-kit-review.html

 

He also wrote a general history of the kit, both Revell and Atlantis, here:

 

https://www.dembrudders.com/revells-1535-uss-missouri-an-iowa-class-act.html

 

As you can see, Revell made subtle changes to the deck and superstructure as well as the more extensive modifications to the hull.

 

He notes by comparing a new-ish Revell kit and the repop Atlantis offering, the Atlantis molds show far less wear. The kit has been in almost constant release for 70 years.

 

And to make it even more confusing, Atlantis later re-released the 1970s Monogram Iowa class in smaller 1/665 scale.

 

Yes, aside from the clear parts for vehicles (notably the 1:48 gas tanker, and Chevy truck and excellent wheels and tires for a large scale dragster) Atlantis has not made major changes to the old Revell/Monogram/Aurora/Lindberg kits it has re-issued.

 

It would be fun to see them get an original Revell Lockheed Electra and cut a new mold for the fuselage. That kit has been a "holy grail" for airline fans for years. The wings, as modified for the P-3, might need minor work too.

 

And to REALLY go down a rabbit hole, I'll mention Revell released kits of a DC-7 and  the later stretched/greater wingspan  DC-7C.

I don't know if they had two sets of molds or they modified the originals for the later (which would be odd, considering the changes). The DC-7 was re-released as late as 1975, the 7C has also been repopped, so likely the short "7" molds were not altered.

 

Who knows what lurks in the Atlantis inventory of old Revell molds?

 

However, they are considering retooling (reverse engineering) a much missed Monogram kit who molds were lost.  (I'm sworn to secrecy). 🙂 Hopefully, if the old kits bring in enough revenue, they'll be able to bring back extinct old kits.

 

 

Edited April 3, 2025 by JohnEB
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